A Second Helping of Denver’s run game at Kansas City

The Broncos celebrated the first day of December with a brilliant come-from-behind 35-28 victory over the Chiefs, and now control the AFCW and their own destiny for playoff seeding.

After customarily deferring possession on the opening kickoff, Denver had to weather KC's emotional level of play in the first half, falling behind 21-7, but getting to within a touchdown late in the second quarter.

They went three-and-out on their next series, but starting with the second-half kickoff, the Broncos sucked the life out of Arrowhead with three consecutive long touchdown drives - of 80, 92, and 95 yards.

We'll focus today on that first possession of the third quarter.

A 20-yard pass from Peyton Manning to Wes Welker has brought Denver to its own 39-yard line, where they face 1st-and-10 with 13:43 remaining, trailing 21-14.

Montee Ball's 13-yard run is executed so well that it's like viewing a good example of Lombardi's legendary Power Sweep. Vince used to give seminars on the play - devoting six hours just to the function and reads of the pulling guard. Oh, to be a fly on that wall.

At times I've loaded up this eight-partlecture by Alex Gibbs and listened until my ears bled - I imagine the experience was similar listening to Vince. What both Gibbs and Lombardi have taught is that when you’ve got every footstep, hand movement, angle, read, and possibility covered, there’s not a lot that the defense can really do.

This was that exactly kind of play.

Presnap, the Broncos are in their standard 11 personnel with one running back, three wide receivers, and one tight end. Safety Eric Berry is shaded to the outside over Virgil Green, who’s on the offensive right (making that the strong/closed side).

Denver has its typical starting line of Chris Clark, Zane Beadles, Manny Ramirez, Louis Vasquez, and Orlando Franklin; Kansas City counters with its 5-2 defense in a Cover-2 look:

Chris Clark takes on Tamba Hali (91), while Beadles takes a ‘bucket step’ (one to the rear) in preparation to pull as the lead blocker. You can see that his shoulders are tilted towards the direction he’s pulling, so if a linebacker has the left guard as his read, it will tip him as to where the play’s going.

Vasquez and Franklin work together to block Allen Bailey (97); Franklin is blocking down on him, while Vasquez takes control of him by the inside (closer to the center) numbers. Vasquez and Franklin are performing a ‘combination block’ - when Franklin can feel that Vasquez has Bailey under control, he moves to the next defender, this time at the second level.

Ramirez is tasked with taking on Dontari Poe (92) one on one, and although Poe drives in low, Manny stands him up up very well (as he did nearly all day). Manny gives up 15 lb. to Poe, whose hand strength is extraordinary, but Ramirez does a fine job against him, even when playing him solo.

Virgil Green has Berry to contend with, coming in from a wide angle. Berry is one of the Chiefs' best defenders, and he played extremely well all day - Peyton Manning commented after the game on the problems it created - but Green handles him well here.

Virgil uses a ‘post’ maneuver on his block: he gets his hands up and inside, allowing him to lift Berry up and to the rear, and Green keeps his feet moving just enough. Look at the angle of Green‘s back, and how he’s ‘buttressing’ Berry, which eliminates the safety's leverage and strength. It only takes moving the defender three inches back or upward to control him.

Green then turns Berry as if you’d open a gate, keeping his body between the runner and the defender, effectively removing him from the play. Beadles is running along the back of the LOS to the right side of the line. This wasn’t Beadles’ best game by a longshot, but you couldn’t prove it on this play.

Franklin can feel Vasquez taking over Bailey, so he leaves and attacks the second level, engaging Derrick Johnson (56) and taking him out of the play. Notice that both Wes Welker and Eric Decker are engaging their defenders, while Demaryius Thomas is coming all the way across from the far offensive left. Everyone in white is getting up on their assignments, which is what makes this play really work.

Ball is following in Beadles’ tracks, pounding up the middle where odd front defenses are often vulnerable to just this kind of play. Zane steamrollers over Husain Abdullah (39), getting Ball nearly to the first-down marker before Brandon Flowers (24) releases from Welker to bring Ball down - yet not before Ball’s power drags them both well over the line to gain. Demaryius has hustled over and is aiming at Quintin Demps (35), just in case Ball gets past Flowers and Hali.

Notice below that Thomas, bad shoulder and all, has crossed the entire field, found a man, and is still blocking Demps, his back to the play and unable to see that Ball is already going down. I mention this because having an injured WR still looking for a safety to block at the end of a running play is indicative of the aggressive mindset that lets the Broncos take over a game on the road, after having trailed by 14 points in one of the toughest stadiums in the NFL.

Notice also that Franklin is still keeping his body between his man and the runner, not letting up until the whistle sounds. That’s essential to winning too - you never let up until the ref blows the play dead.

Congratulations to Montee Ball, who racked up his first 100-yard game, with a final tally of 13 attempts and 117 yards (9.0 average), plus a four-yard reception. He didn’t fumble, didn’t hesitate, and he showed off the hard stiff arm, quick feet, tackle-breaking power, and instant decision-making that he did at Wisconsin. Ball has been tutored by running backs coach Eric Studesville, Peyton Manning, and Knowshon Moreno - which isn’t a bad way to break into the pro game.

Knowshon added only 18 yards on 15 attempts this game, but he gained 72 yards receiving, including a touchdown. With the long season beginning to wear on Moreno, the emergence of Ball as a legitimate #2 back may allow him to take some of the load off of Moreno and add yet another weapon for Denver that the defense cannot ignore.

In summary, these are some of the achievements and principles Denver put together on this play:

Chris Clark walled off Tamba Hali from attacking the backside of the run

Zane Beadles pulled with his usual skill and pancaked Husain Abdullah

Manny Ramirez neutralized Dontari Poe, head to head

Louis Vasquez took out Bailey, with Franklin’s help

Orlando Franklin worked the combination block with Vasquez and then released to take Derrick Johnson out of the play on the second level

Virgil Green put Eric Berry in a timeout

Even the wide receivers slowed their defenders

Brandon Flowers finally fought free of Wes Welker to make the tackle, with Hali coming over to his aid, but not until after Montee Ball had gained the first down. It’s not a knock on Wes, who’s 5-9 and 185 lb, but if he had maintained control of Flowers for another half-second, Denver might have scored right there and then.

Manning threw deep successfully over and again, making the Chiefs play a little looser and creating more openings for Ball. Give the line a lot of credit on that, too.

Ball made a heck of a run, and it was only one of several from him during this game. When you run for 117 yards and average 9.0 per carry, you’re in a zone. Ball’s ability to break tackles is starting to really show. When Moreno can get some rest without a drop in run game production, that’s going to help as the year drags on.

It was just one game, but it was a divisional contest with the AFCW crown and playoff seeding on the line. Injuries were wreaking havoc with the defensive line and secondary, while Wesley Woodyard was among those still fighting his own discomfort. Standing up to and overcoming that kind of adversity is the kind of big game, big play experience that the Broncos will need to achieve their true goal for this season.

It’s plays like this that can get them there.

Learn to laugh at yourself. You will be ceaselessly amused. - Sri Gary Olsen

You can reach Doc at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @alloverfatman

Doc offers a look at the Falcons roster in advance of Denver's Week 2 game in Atlanta tonight

I think like most coaches and GMs, McDaniels talked about high character players and then followed up by drafting a piece of trash like Perrish Cox. Shanahan talked the same talk and then walked guys like Daryl Gardener through the door. Reeves was the same way while he was drafting dudes like Gerald Perry.

The current regime is the first one I've seen that seems to focus with laser intensity on guys who were team captains in college. More importantly, they take bad actors and weak motor players right off their draft board, but quietly and without any self promotion.

Posted by Yahmule on 2013-12-07 22:28:25

Thanks for the awesome, insightful reply.

Posted by Random Anonymous Coward on 2013-12-07 21:25:47

Doc,I'll always get involved in roster discussion.I've been one who always thought Moreno had more upside than most thought. So I'm satisfied, though not surprised, by what he's become.I also thought Ball was a good choice in the second round (though I admit prejudice because my daughter and family who live in Madison, WI, are huge Badger fans) who, with patience would become a reliable asset.I also think that Hillman has a pretty significant upside. He's young, not yet physically developed into an NFL body, but, in the event, should be a significant asset. Like with Moreno, the fumbles will eventually IMO go away.I also like CJ a lot. He's a less developed version of Ball IMO, with, in time, potentially an even greater upside. I don't currently see the Broncos targeting a RB in the future (pace all of those Doug Martin fans).Likewise, though I've always liked Walton, I've always thought that the Broncos would look for a bigger, more durable, OC. Frankly, I thought they might have found it in Blake and was disappointed that he just wasn't going to happen in that role. I didn't see Manny coming, but already early this year publicly admitted (totally ignore by those who thought either Koppen or Lilje were the answer) that I thought he was the answer. I'm not now willing to backtrack.The discussion of WR is probably also appropriate here. I was somewhat surprise that the Broncos kept no WRs on the practice squad. I thought either King or Tavaras could become depth for any or all of the WR positions both outside or slot. Apparently, Caldwell's speed, size and increasing effectiveness trumped what upside either had. Caldwell may eventually become a burner replacement for an aging Welker.Which, for me, means that keeping the foundation of DT, Decker, Welker and Caldwell is important. Both Welker (age) and Caldwell could be replace, but only with solidly apparent upgrades, not easy in the draft. I suspect that both DT and Decker will be retained unless their demands are impractical, which, at this point, I'm not anticipating. I think both will admit that their roles here have defined their talent.Likewise, I suspect, going forward, that at least one, probably two, OL will be drafted for the future. That's admitting that two of the combination of Clark, Painter, Cornick, and Winston are seriously in the mix. However, IMO even Beadles, while an acknowledged quality LG could be the victim of an upgrade.Always find roster discussion interesting.

Posted by ivanthenotsobad on 2013-12-07 20:09:59

RAC - perhaps, my friend. We're looking back to a guy who was 'challenged' as far as his draft choices and who seemed to gravitate to character and intellect as much or more than physical skills.

As far as Decker, his total of three drops in college and his ability to work equally effectively inside and outside were the biggest areas mentioned, but his blocking wasn't off the board either. DT's work in the triple option did show off his blocking, but his speed and ability to stretch the field was perhaps the biggest factor. With both, their size was a substantial factor. I would hope that their blocking was also important - it just didn't come up much.

With Beadles, I thought then and do now that his character and intelligence were the biggest factors, although he's got prototypical size for guard. He was a tackle in college, but was expected to move to guard in the NFL.

When you consider that Seth Olsen, Eric Olsen nor Blake Schleuter even made the field, I'm not entirely sure what McD's criteria for his OL choices might have been. He did seem to value intellect and character over other factors and Beadles earned a number of scholastic awards while at Utah, including the National Honor Society. Interestingly, a lot of scouts doubted that Beadles would be able to make the jump to the NFL, which he clearly can do. He did have a tendency to be erratic in his technique in college and early on with Denver: that seems to be an issue this year as well. I'm hoping he's overcoming it.

As an aside, Walton's intellect/character package was equally important in his drafting, but he was an excellent run blocker in college. Unfortunately, even as a college senior there were a lot of comments in the scouting community regarding him, saying that his body/frame might have maxed out and that he would have trouble making the jump to the NFL. He did, and although I was very happy with his improvement early in 2012, Manny Ramirez seems to have learned more quickly once he got on the field. He's also bigger, stronger and clearly has the smarts to work with PM, which means that he's as bright as any center has to be.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2013-12-07 19:12:13

Is it fair to assume that Decker, Beadles and DT run blocking skills were a very important part on the decision to draft them by McDaniels to fit Tebow's skillset ?

Posted by Random Anonymous Coward on 2013-12-07 17:32:51

Co-signed, completely.

Posted by Goéland on 2013-12-07 17:11:59

Loved your answer, Doc. I agree that Knowshon and Montee have a lot of the same assets. The difference, I think, is that I see Knowshon as a bit more elusive, while Montee breaks tackles a bit better with his upper body strength. It´s not a huge difference in style, but it gives me the hope that Montee will be a very effective back in 3rd and 2 situations, as you delineated, Doc. If Ronnie stops fumbling, and Montee becomes a dependable pass blocker, the offense will have everything it needs from its RBs.

Posted by Goéland on 2013-12-07 17:11:19

The timing is perfect, and I have no problem putting KM on a 'pitch count' the rest of the way, if it helps get him healed up heading into the playoffs. I still maintain that losing Knowshon was the single-greatest overall factor in the loss to the Ravens last year. PMFM is the MVP, no contest, but Moreno and his versatility help Manning execute the offense more than anyone else out there, IMO.

Posted by ronin_jubei on 2013-12-07 17:08:48

Outstanding!

I love the idea of (eventually) having two nearly interchangeable backs, especially given the way that both of them are running at this point. The upside that Montee has is huge, and if at some point he's the better runner of the two, so much the better. With Hillman as the elusive speedster (assuming he's holding on to the ball, of course), I really feel good about the position through the rest of the season and beyond.

Thanks again!

Posted by ronin_jubei on 2013-12-07 17:04:07

"Hopefully, it will give Moreno a chance to recover some."

I think you've nailed the heart of it, Ivan. Moreno's been playing injured and is up to his highest number of carries (202) since 2009 (247 for the year). I didn't see it so much as KC stopping him as KM just wearing down. Ball's coming on, late in the season, and has fresh legs. It's great timing.

Now if Hillman can learn to hang on to the ball, they'll have a nice RB group that includes a change of pace back.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2013-12-07 17:00:41

Appreciate the feedback, Goe'land. I'm not knocking JD either and yes, I think that Manny has earned himself that slot.

When folks were understandably questioning why Matt Willis was still in the lineup the last couple of years, they often didn't realize just how effective he was in the run-blocking game. That's been true of all the Denver WRs - and it's often the difference between moving the sticks and not quite getting there. They block well for each other after the catch and they're effective blocking for RBs as well. It's just one more thing that makes the Broncos very dangerous.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2013-12-07 16:54:59

Guessing that the D did nt see ball as a threat therefore played the run softer when he was in instead of Moreno.

Posted by Lonestar47 on 2013-12-07 16:51:47

Good questions, ronin.

Ball - I think that he's exactly what Denver thought he was when they took him: a guy who's durable and effective, has the vision to see the gaps open, the burst to get through them before they close and the power to break multiple tackles. Having him maturing should help Denver quite a bit - Moreno's played a high number downs, for him, this season.

So, specifics or differences in the way each is used? Right now, I don't see that much changing in the usage of the two backs. Ball's strengths aren't that much different from Moreno's at this point in KM's career - both are breaking tackles, running with attitude and falling forward. Montee's 5'10 and 215-ish, KM's 5'11" and 220 lb. - not a ton of difference there. KM took a while to develop his vision, strength and on-field attitude, but has been a rock for Denver in the past year and a half. Ball is maturing quickly and showing early signs of much the same strengths, although I think he's going to be even more effective in terms of power running.

KM is still a better blocker and receiver, but Ball has plenty of potential in both areas. Essentially, the Broncos are running the Manning offense and PM has a clear mental picture of exactly what he wants from his backs. I could be wrong, but rather than using them in very different ways, I tend to see Denver/PM using them both, along with the no huddle and Manning's ability to dissect defenses, to simply wear the opponents down beyond recovery. Having both hammering the defense, one after the other, also improves PM's play action game even more, which is saying a lot.

As both Alexis and Outlaw rightly noted, the Chiefs had to respect the backside of the play, account for Manning, overcome the Bronco receivers' (TE and WR) blocking, and figure a way to beat Manny, Vasquez and Franklin on the offensive right (Beadles is struggling some in run blocking and Chris Clark, although I can't say enough good about what he's done this year, isn't a top run blocker). For those who get it, last week's ESPN mag had a nice piece on Manning spending time pretending to be a linebacker to teach Ball how to run a 5 yard route into the flat. PM has done a great job helping Moreno mature as a player (KM also did a lot himself) and he's grooming Ball in much the same ways.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2013-12-07 16:49:14

Ha, I noticed that too. Nice backside contain there, but that doesn't mean a thing when the play is as well blocked as this was.

Posted by The_Outlaw1984 on 2013-12-07 16:21:25

Awesome stuff. And is it me or does it look like #51 on the Chiefs is respecting Manning's ability to keep the ball and take it to the house on that play.

Posted by Alexis on 2013-12-07 16:13:06

Fantastic analysis of a great effort by all of the guys on offense!

Just curious, Doc: What kind of effect do you think the emergence and maturation of Montee Ball might have down the stretch and into the playoffs? We've all been subjected to the tired trope of Manning's cold weather 'struggles', and the Alfred Williams' of the world keep preaching that the running game needs to be more dominant (without specifying exactly how) for the Broncos to succeed in the playoffs. Since I don't see Gase and Manning going to a bunch of I-formation-type of stuff, how would you use Ball to help the offense succeed, especially against a Seahawks type defense? Thanks!

Posted by ronin_jubei on 2013-12-07 16:05:34

Will do, Hank. I also hope this addressed some of your interest in the OL's situation.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2013-12-07 15:57:41

Doc, a pleasure to read, as usual. Two things in particular stand out to me. First, Manny having a great game against Dontari Poe is definite proof that with a little luck, the Broncos may have found themselves their starting center for the future. Not that JD Walton is a bum, but between his performance and his dependability, I now have a very hard time imagining Ramirez getting downgraded next year. And second, our WRs really are impacting the game in almost all the right ways. They all blocked successfully and willingly on this play, and the same was true on Montee´s long run, in which both DT and Decker had crucial blocks that helped spring Montee on the secondary level. The entire offense has been a joy to watch, in terms of performance, effort and professionalism.

Posted by Goéland on 2013-12-07 14:59:19

Thanks Doc.I think our OL has been freaking beyond amazing.I know Alex Gibbs is just a consultant..but still wonder how much he can take a little credit this year?

Posted by heykyleinsf on 2013-12-07 14:40:10

Enjoyable as always, Doc. Please keep these coming.

Posted by Hank Mardukis on 2013-12-07 14:28:06

Good breakdown, Doc.What I find curious is that KC's defense appeared to have adjusted to Moreno as a runner, effectively shutting him down, but that adjustment was no answer for Ball. Either the two require different adjustments or Ball has taken big steps in reading defenses. Good to have an increasingly effective Ball as the season progresses. Hopefully, it will give Moreno a chance to recover some.

Posted by ivanthenotsobad on 2013-12-07 14:01:26

"Virgil Green put Eric Berry in a timeout." Lmao.

I hope Manny can maintain his high level of play against Jurrell Casey.